GXSA Rally to Littlehampton

Agenda

The Littlehampton rally will build on the success of the Island Harbour event in 2014, where we had great fun with the food, wine, music and dancing.

Littlehampton is outside the experience of many Solent sailors, and it can be quite an interesting port to get into. It's critical to arrive at the right time, as the River Arun runs quite quickly. Consequently, the plan is to rendezvous in Chichester Harbour on Friday night, and shorten the sail on Saturdat morning, so that we can be certain to get there in time.

Friday

High Water (Portsmouth) is 13:11 local time, HW (Littlehampton) is 12:57 LT

To make sure that we can get to Littlehampton in the best time, the plan is to rendezvous in Chichester Harbour on Friday and spend the night in the East head anchorage, ready for an early start on Saturday.

I imagine that there will be some hostelry between boats on the Friday evening, with crews rowing between vessels to share in the excitement.

Saturday

High Water (Portsmouth) is 13:54 local time, HW (Littlehampton) is 13:42 LT

We will need to leave the anchorage around 09:00 on Saturday to sail 25 miles to Littlehampton with a fair tide, arriving around 13:00, on the last of the flood tide.

Littlehampton is a delightful town, with plenty of things to entertain the exhausted sailor.

The Pontoon Party will start around 17:30, followed by dinner at the very unusual Silk Road Restaurant (Trip Advisor 4 stars) with entertainment (currently being finalised). Watch the video here:Click Here.

Sunday

High Water (Portsmouth) is 14:43 local time. HW (Littlehampton): 14:28 LT

In light of the strong currents on the River Arun, the best time for departure will be around mid-day. We may plan a walk along the coast, or more exploration of Littlehampton for the morning; more news nearer the date.

Cost

We've settled on a price of £30 per person, to include the Pontoon Party, and Dinner at the Silk Road Restaurant. Skippers will need to settle their mooring fees with the Harbourmaster.